Sri Lanka has been admitted to the Foundation Council, the Governing Body of the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP). Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha represented Sri Lanka for the first...

Consideration of the Fifth Periodic Report of Sri Lanka under the Committee Against Torture (CAT) took place at the 59th Session of the Committee Against Torture, held at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, on 15-16 November 2016. Hon. Jayantha...

Statement by Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, MP Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka High Level Segment of the 22ndSession of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22)
and 12th Session of the...

“Tobacco & alcohol control at top of my national agenda”
President Maithripala Sirisena urged the world community to resist the attempts of the tobacco industry to undermine tobacco control through litigation and interference in government policy-making.
“We know that...

Our development strategy is to trade successfully with the vibrant market in the Indian Ocean. In this venture, we intend to create a law-abiding economic environment in order to provide a platform for sustainable development. In the present context,...

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera called for the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to move into a new era of dynamism, when he addressed the 16th Council of Ministers Meeting (CoMM) of IORA held on 27th October 2016 in Bali, Indonesia. In his address,...

Welcome to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka intervening during the 25th Session of the Human Rights Council under Agenda Item 3: Clustered ID with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Special Rapporteur on Counter - Terrorism on 12th March 2014, said the recent sporadic attacks on religious targets are isolated incidents and there is an attempt to portray such sporadic incidents targeting places of worship as a sign of religious hatred and intolerance.

In a statement at this interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, the Sri Lankan delegation said that the Government does not condone such attacks on places of religious worship.

In all instances where police complaints have been lodged, the legal process has been set in motion, including producing suspects before magistrates, the statement said.

While noting that Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, the statement said Sri Lanka Government is committed to protecting and ensuring the rights of all people in Sri Lanka to enjoy freedom of religion including the freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of their choice.

The statement said that in keeping with Sri Lanka's social, cultural and historical norms, regular dialogue continues to take place at various levels to ensure interfaith harmony and understanding among its diverse populace.